A Simple Game of Survival
by Lotr030201
Summary: In 1985 A, the whole world is in another depression. Not just Hill Valley, but all of the U.S. and the Games have been around for twelve years. Marty's brother and sister were fully grown and out of the house, but Marty was only seventeen. This year, he once again scrapes by going into the Games, but not a little 12 year old boy. Marty volunteers. Will he survive the Games? R&R!
1. Chapter 1

A Simple Game of Survival

A/N: Takes place in the alternate universe where Biff is married to Marty's mom and everything is different. But I'm also making it AU because of the Games. There are only fifteen states left, and California (known as State 15) is one of them.

Summary: In 1985 A, the whole world is in another depression. Not just Hill Valley, but all of the U.S. The only people that now have lots money are the people who were rich before the depression happened. Marty is seventeen, every year just barely scarping by not getting called into the Games. His brother and sister are fully grown, and aren't going to be called in, but Marty was only seventeen. This one time he scrapes by once again, but not this little boy, who was only twelve years old. Marty, feeling guilty, volunteers. But will he survive the Games? Still Marty/Jennifer.

Chapter One

A creaking noise woke me up. My eyes snap open, and I look around. The place looked better than it did last night. The maid must've come in here in the middle of the night or something. I get up, and stumble for a minute, because I was never good in the mornings, and there was no light-no light was on and no light was shining through the window. I walk over to my closet and open it, and take out an outfit. I put it on, and open a floorboard. Inside there was a handgun and a bow and arrow. We were rich enough to buy our own food, but Biff, being the dick he was, mainly ate a bunch of it before I could get to it, so I learned to sneak into the kitchens at night and eat my food that I caught there.

I place the gun in my back pocket and put the bow over my shoulder. I walk silently in my socks, carrying my shoes. I peep into my mom and Biff's bedroom. Both of them are still asleep, which was a good thing for me. I sneak out the doors, and down the stairs to the first floor and then out the doors. There was a fence around the place, like every establishment nowadays. Mainly it was for protection, but I think most of the time, it was to keep people locked inside their home until a specific hour. I stand there for a few minutes, waiting to hear any humming of electricity, and then I go to the spot I crawl out of every morning, and barely nudge it. The soil, now used to me doing this, is so fine now that I can barely nudge it, and the majority of it moves. Soon, I'm out and I'm taking off. I run past houses where the people inside aren't even awake yet. A dog barks, but I pay no attention to it. I slip past some trees and I'm out of the neighborhood in no time. This neighborhood has, honest to God, turned to shit. There was a wild wilderness beyond us, and there is where I did my hunting.

After a few minutes, I'm in the forest, and I stop running. I kneel down and take my gun out of my pocket, and hold it. I place it on the ground and try to quiet my breathing. A twig snapped, and I turned on my heel. I saw a bear. I slowly took off my bow and got an arrow at the ready. The bear didn't even notice me; he was minding his own business. I felt something on my shoulder, and I jumped. The arrow flew from my bow, and the bear took off running. I turned and saw Jennifer smirking at me.

"Hey, stranger." She says. I smile at her.

"Jennifer." And then the smile leaves. "I could've gotten that bear. That's the first one I've seen in months."

"What were you gonna do? Have a bear feast or sell it?"

"I don't know. I need to eat but I also need the money."

"You need the mon—Marty, you live at Biff's!"

"He never gives me any money."

"Oh, that's right."

"And, anyway, Jen, if I was going to get that bear, which I was planning to do, I would've kept half of it to eat. The other half I would've sold."

()()()()()()()

We were sitting down, looking out at the sunrise.

"Happy Survival Games." Jennifer says. I nod my head once, my lips in a thin line.

"Yeah, well, I don't think they're gonna be too happy today. Who knows who'll get called this time." It wasn't a question. Every year, it gets harder and harder. I have to turn my name in. It's not that we need extra food or oil or anything, but Biff makes me. He also made Dave and Linda. I wasn't the only one. I was supposed to have twenty-eight, but I had to turn in a slip of paper every month with Marty McFly delicately written. So, actually, I have around something in the hundreds or two hundreds maybe. I wasn't sure anymore. Jennifer's the same age as me, and has the same amount. It scares the shit out of us every year. We've only got one more to go until we're old enough not be called out.

"Maybe it'll be me."

I look at Jennifer, my eyes wide with horror and my jaw locks. "Don't you ever say that!"

"Well, it's true. That way I won't have to be called again."

"Jennifer Parker, don't you ever say that again. Please."

"I won't. Just for your sake."

"I wouldn't know what to do if you got called. You're the only person who really cares now. Besides my mother. My brother's a drunk and my sister is... Well, I'm not quite sure what she is anymore. Doc's in an asylum. I mean... You're basically the only one I have left."

Jennifer grabs my hand and kisses it. I lean over and kiss her. She pulls away. "Just think, Marty. After this, we'll be grown. We could just get out of here if we wanted to. Get out of here, and go somewhere and start our life again. Just run away to another country, like England or France or even Ireland. Have a family. Never have to worry about the Survival Games."

"Yeah. Wouldn't that be something?" I mutter.

()()()()()()()

The sun was high in the sky when I went back home. I made sure no one was up, and I went up to my room, and lay in my bed until I felt someone's hand on my head.

"Wake up, Marty." Says a voice. "We have to get ready."

It was my mother. I nod once, and then go to take a shower. After I get out and put a towel around my waist, I have a nice outfit laid out for me. I pick up the note that was next to it. "_This outfit was your father's. Wear it with pride_." It was in my mother's careful cursive handwriting. I smile and touch the outfit. It had recently been washed, but I could easily see him once again when I shut my eyes. He's smiling at me, and I'm five years old again. He picks me up, and holds me close. There's a pounding on the door and my eyes snap open.

"Come on, Marty." Says Mom's voice. "It's almost time."

"Okay." I say back. Then, I get dressed. I do it quickly and then walk out of the bathroom. Mom walks up to me.

"You look handsome." She says. I see Biff in the back roll his eyes.

"Let's go." He snaps. "We'd be there already if we didn't have to wait for your stupid son."

"Shut it, Biff!" Mom snaps. I roll my eyes when Biff's not looking.

I had to leave Mom and Biff's side after I had to go sign in.

"Finger please." A lady says. I give her my hand and she cuts my pointer finger to where she could get a lot of blood. She places it on the paper inside a small box. On the paper, words form. "McFly, Marty." And then I go and stand with the seventeen year olds. After everyone arrives, a woman wearing a hot pink dress with big poofy black hair walks up to the microphone.

"Happy 12th annual Survival Games, and may you make your State proud!" she says. I can't stand this woman. Her name Gloria Smyth, and she was annoying. She always said this every year and never means it. "Now, let's draw some names! Women first!" she squeaks. She moves over to this little model and pulls out a slip of tiny white paper. "Lisa Neilson." She reads. A girl, about my age or younger, stiffens. She slowly moves over to the platform, walking stiffly the whole time. She had red hair and blue eyes, and she stands on the platform, now, emotionless. "Now for the boys." She moves over to the other model, and my heart starts pounding. She pulls out a name. "Michael Dawson."

I don't see anything until a kid from the front walks forward. He short, around twelve, with blonde hair.

"Oh God, no." I mutter. "No. He's a baby." I ran forward. "Hey! Hey, kid! Stop!" the kid, Michael, stops and looks at me with big brown terrified and tear filled eyes. "I volunteer! I volunteer!" I scream. "I volunteer as Tribute!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Everyone looks at me. No one ever volunteers for this—too chicken in my opinion, although I wouldn't want to die either, so I don't guess I really have a say for that.

The place was quiet. You could literally hear a pin drop. Gloria looks at me.

"You volunteer?" she asks.

"Yes ma'am." I answered. I heard a whimper. I think it was from Mom.

"Well, well, walk up, sir. Seems to me that we have a real fighter here. What's your name, boy?"

"M-Mar-Marty. Marty Mc-McFly." I force out.

"Ah. Well. Come on up." She says. I began to walk up, shaking like a leaf in the wind. The little boy, Michael, stood there, looking at me. His eyes are still big and terrified. I looked at him, ruffled his hair, and walked the rest of the way. Lisa looks at me, and nods. Gloria smiles big and wide as if she had just won the lottery.

"And here," she says, "Are our champions. Happy Survival Games! And may you make your State proud! Now, shake hands."

Lisa smiles at me a little bit while I'm just expressionless. We shake hands and Gloria starts clapping. Now, State 15, or as I still call it, California, hasn't won since the second Games, so our mentor, Nathan Burns, is going to be really tough on us this year.

Lisa and I are led to the limo that will take us to the only place that hasn't been torn down. The jail. Lisa and I are shoved into different rooms where we are to wait for someone to come and see us before we leave and most likely get killed. I sit on a bench until the door opens and Mom rushes in and swoops me into a back-breaking hug. I hug her back, not having this much contact with her in a day ever since I was about eleven because of those damn schools Biff kept sending me to.

"Marty," she whimpers. Behind her, my brother and sister come in. For once in what seems like forever, Dave is sober. "I'm so proud of you." She whispers to me. I feel like a small kid again, in her arms. We hug for a long while until she pulls away. Linda is next, her hug tighter than Mom's. I hug her back, breathing in her perfume. And it's the good expensive shit too. The stuff that hardly anyone can afford nowadays.

"That was very brave." She pulls away from me. "Dad's very proud right now. He's very proud of you, Marty."

"Yeah." Dave smiles. "You took up for a little kid that most likely wouldn't have made it five minutes into the game. Very proud of you, little brother." He ruffles my hair, and then gives me a hug.

"Marty." Mom says. She pulls something out of her purse. Dave and I break away from the hug, and Mom places a ring in my hand. "It was your father's. His senior ring. See?" she points out the Hill Valley Class of 1955 on there. "I want you to keep it with you at all times." She says. I smile and hug her. We pull away, and I put the ring on my finger. A perfect fit. The stone inside it was purple, one of our school colors. The ring itself was gold, basically our other school color. I smile bigger.

"Time to go." A guard says. Everyone looks at me, hugs me, we tell each other we love each other, and then they leave. I sit down, and sit on the couch. The door opens.

"Marty!" someone screams and before I can even look up, Jennifer has her arms around me, and I can hear her crying.

"Jennifer, calm down." I tell her quietly. "It's gonna be okay. Everything is going to be fine. Everything is going to be okay."

She pulls away from the hug, her face and eyes red from crying. More tears slipped out of her eyes every second, and it was really killing me to see her like this. "Marty," she chokes out. She hugs me again. "I love you so much."

"Jennifer," I say. Jennifer breaks our hug and sits next to me, her head on my shoulder. I place my arm around her and remembered our conversation from this morning. That was only few hours ago, but to me it seemed like a few years. "You gotta listen to me, okay?" I look at her and she looks at me. "If things take a turn for the worst, and I _am _killed in the Games—"

"Marty, please, don't say that!"

"It happens, Jen. Anyway. What I want you to do is, no matter what, you gotta move on. Don't do anything rash. But if I make it out—"

"I'll wait for you."

"I may not be the same person."

"I don't care." She shakes her head, and kisses me. "I don't care. Right now," she hugs me again. "I just want you to be safe. That's all I want."

"I'll do my best."

"No. You're gonna come home to me. You're gonna win."

"And you know what I'm gonna do as soon as I get home?"

"What?"

"I'm getting Doc out of that damn asylum. He's not insane. He doesn't deserve to be there."

"You know I'm sure Doc's proud of you. That kid wouldn't have lasted five seconds. He's a short little thing. And too little for these Games. I'm proud of you too. That was a very brave thing you did." She kisses my cheek. She hugs me again. The door opens. The guard stands there, looking at us.

"Ma'am." He says, quietly. Jennifer sobs a bit into my shoulder. She pulls away and I hold her face in hands.

"Don't cry." I whisper to her. "Don't cry." I noticed the guard cracked the door to where it was almost closed. "Don't cry for me. I'll be fine. I promise you."

Jennifer grabs my hand that was resting on her left cheek. I can feel the tears that slid down her face and into my hands. I kiss her softly, and she hugs me one more time. "I love you." She whispers.

"I love you too." I whisper back. I stand and walk her to the door. Jennifer turns one last time, the tears rolling down her face faster than before. Then, she leaves. I shut the door, and slide down. I finally just let myself start crying, knowing that I had another thirty minutes before I had to leave. Another thirty minutes before everything as I knew it was gone for a few weeks or more.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

It wasn't too much longer until they called us to the airport. I had my father's ring on my finger, and I swore I wasn't going to lose it no matter what. This is basically the only thing I have left of him except for memories. And since he died when I was young, I don't have many of them. I saw Lisa getting on, crying her eyes out. I tried looking devoid of all emotion but the cameras and paparazzi were trying to get into my face and I knew they'd see how red my eyes are from the crying. Jennifer called my name and started crying again. I turn to her, shout "Jennifer, I love you!" and start to get on the train. My mom and my siblings were trying to hold it in and I held my hand up to my mouth, kiss it, and hold it out to them. Mom breaks down, but copies my motions, as do Dave and Linda. Then I step back and the doors close. I look out the window at everyone as they cried and I saw the little boy whose life I saved and he mouthed the words "Thank you" and I nodded and smile at him. He smiles back, and that's the last sight I see before we enter the tunnel.

()()()()()()()()()()

I go into the dining car and look around. It was about as nice as the dining room that Biff has at his stupid casino.

"Hey." A voice says behind me. "You're that kid that hung around with Looney Brown right?"

I turn a mean look in my eyes. "He's not crazy." I growl. The girl, who was Lisa Neilson, stepped back at the force in my voice. "Everyone thinks he is but he's not. Doc's not insane, he's just very eccentric."

"Sorry I said anything. I know we've already met, but it wasn't really that formal. I'm Lisa Neilson." She stuck out her hand.

"Marty McFly." I said, dryly, not taking her hand, and then went to sit down.

"Seriously, I am sorry. Did you ever visit him?"

I snapped around. "Of course I did. Even before he was committed. He was like a father to me. Before Biff sent me to the damn reform schools and during breaks, I'd spend all that time with him. Biff was nothing. Just an asshole that treated us all like shit under his shoes."

Lisa seemed taken aback by my outburst. I started to leave when the other door opens and Nathan Burns walks in. I step back and fall on my ass. Nathan looks at me.

"Acting like that will get you killed in the first five seconds of the Game, Mr. McFly." He says.

"You just scared me, sir. That's all." I say, standing up.

"You're so much like your father."

"Did you go to school with him, sir?" I asked, confused.

"No, but my mother did. I met George McFly a few years before he died. Brilliant man. Brilliant writer too, he let me read some of his work. Shame when he was murdered."

"How do you know if he was murdered?" Lisa asked.

"It was all over the news for weeks, Miss Neilson."

"Oh."

"Anyway, point is, in this game, there are no second chances. You don't get shot or stabbed and think that you can go and get a do over. These people are relentless. They will leave you there or keep stabbing you or shooting you until they are completely sure you are dead."

I try and swallow a lump in my throat that had taken place ever since Nathan had started speaking about my father. But it's persistent and annoying and does not want to leave. Nathan continued.

"The training will be hard; they will push you to the limit. They will push you until they are sure that you will break. The evaluation is hell. They will score you on aim, strength, and persistence. If you don't make the limit, you will be one of the first killed out in the field. That is a guaranteed fact."

()()()()()()()()()()

It was dark now. I was led to my compartment, and it was nice to say the least. I go over to the bed and I sit down. It's so soft, just the way I like it. I lie back on the bed and smile in contentment. If only I had my guitar. But a few years back, Biff had pawned it to get some extra money that he didn't need. I look up and see a clock radio and I start to get excited. I turn it on and I hear Huey Lewis and The News playing Power of Love which gets me very excited. I get on the bed and start jumping and dancing like I haven't done in years.

"Mr. McFly!" I finally hear. I stopped and look at the door right as the song ended.

"What?" I stop dancing and jumping, my heart pounding. The woman, who had black hair and brown eyes, smiles at me.

"Well, one, that was some nice air guitar. And two you might want to get ready. Dinner's in about a half hour."

"Okay."

()()()()()()()()()()

I get out of the shower, the towel around my waist. I go into the room and don't see the clothes I wore earlier but it was a different outfit. The ring was still on my finger, but I don't know where my dad's outfit went. I put the clothes on, and start looking around, but the dinner bell rings and I run out of the room and into the dining car. There I see Lisa and Nathan, and they're sitting there waiting for me. Lisa is also wearing a different outfit.

"What happened to my clothes?" I asked.

"Oh, don't worry about a thing, McFly. Your clothes are being washed right now as we speak. You'll get them back later tonight. Now, we still have to wait for your stylists."

"Stylists?"

"Yes. They pick out your costumes and make-up and hair when you're being led into the capitol, your interviews, and to the arena."

"I'm not going to wear any lipstick am I?" I asked. Nathan laughed heartily.

"No, no, no. No. I don't know what you're wearing but I know you will not wear make-up."

"Thank God."

()()()()()()()()()()

After dinner, I went back to my compartment. I turned my clock radio on, and a Michael Jackson song came on. I turned it down and bit and as I was drifting to sleep, I finally felt the first pang of reality that I might not be able to make it home.

So I get out of my bed, get on my knees, and prayed for the first time in my life.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

There is a loud rapping on the door that wakes me up.

"Mr. McFly?" I hear. "Mr. McFly, it's time to wake up."

"I'm up." I groan as the clock radio switches to a different song. This one is called Come On Eileen. God, I haven't heard this in years. I go towards the shower, singing along. I see all these buttons on the side, and out of curiosity, I press one. Ice cold water suddenly hits me, and I scream. I fall backwards and hit my head. "Damn." I mutter. I start to get back up when I feel hands on me helping me up. I turn and see a blonde girl with blue eyes. "Thanks." I smile at her. She doesn't speak to me, and goes to the shower and presses the button and the water stops. "Uh, ma'am…" I start but she doesn't say anything and leaves. I shake my head, confused.

()()()()()()()()()()

I walk into the dining car, still rubbing my head.

"Ah, good morning, Mr. McFly." A man with blonde hair and green eyes smiles at me. I furrow my eyebrows.

"Who the hell are you?" I ask.

"Mr. McFly, this is John Edmonson. He's your stylist." Nathan explains to me.

"Oh." I smile at John. "Nice to meet you." I hold up a hand in greeting and sit down.

"Ugh, really! Get your grubby little hands off of my dress." Gloria Smyth walks in and I could've killed myself then and there. She smiles at me and Lisa, clearing her throat. "Well!" she clasps her hands together. "How are my little Tributes for State 15?"

"It's California." I correct and sit down. Gloria glares at me and sits.

"Well, Nathan, I can see you're keeping things on track." She looks at him.

"Yes, Gloria. Don't you trust me?"

"At times." She responds, and eats a grape. I look at Lisa. Neither of us have our food yet.

"Um… Miss Smyth…" Lisa says.

"Yes, dear?" Gloria looks at her before popping another grape into her mouth.

"When's our food getting here?"

"Oh, honey, yours is still being prepared." She looks at me. "We want you big and strong for the Games."

I nod. "I see. I bet they're making a huge nutritious breakfast for us."

"They are. And you're to eat every bite."

"Jeez, you're starting to sound like my mom." I joke. Gloria glares. "Sorry."

Right then, some butlers came in and presented our food. Nathan reached for some eggs, but Gloria smacks his hand away.

"Nathan," she says. "These are for our Tributes. They're too skinny. Let them put some meat on their bones."

"Sorry." Nathan rolls his eyes. I get two breakfast rolls, a large amount of scrambled eggs, some buttered toast, a couple of pancakes, some bacon and pour myself a large glass of orange juice. Lisa stares at me, her eyes wide as saucers.

"What?" My tone got a little cocky.

"Nothing." Lisa holds her hands up. She gets herself some food as I start eating. I had forgotten the taste of pancakes so much so that this time I relished it.

"Mr. McFly," John says. "I wanted to talk about your outfit. If you could look up at me for just a second."

"Sorry." I look up and take another bite of my eggs.

"California is known for many things."

"Yeah. Many, many things." Lisa said.

"But, I want to focus on Hill Valley, your hometown. What is Hill Valley known for?" John ignored her. I gave a half smile.

"Well…for starters…. The Courthouse which is now Biff's place, you've got a few porn places, Biffco Reality…."

"In the past?"

"It connected to San Francisco by train in the 1880's. And you've got Clayton Ravine."

"Clayton Ravine?"

"Yeah, Clayton Ravine. There was this schoolteacher, see, and—" I began to explain but Gloria cut me off.

"Surely you can think of something else John." She says.

"Well, we could do the history over California."

"You mean State 15?"

"Whatever. We could do history over that. I'm going to go look it up, you guys enjoy your breakfast." John left. I look at Lisa.

"That went well."

"Yeah." Lisa eats her cereal slowly.

"Is he your stylist too?"

"No, I've got a girl. His sister. Lucy."

"Ah." I took another bite of pancakes. Gloria looked at me as I started to push my plate away. "What?"

"Eat all of your food." She snaps.

"Miss Smyth, I can't eat anymore."

"Whatever. Finish your plate." Gloria rolled her eyes and left.

"I'll leave you two alone." Nathan nodded and then left. I forced myself to finish my plate and then went to my car. Lisa came with me.

"Tired?"

"I am now. Gloria made me eat a damn feast." I reply.

"Yeah. I feel like she's fattening us up like pigs for slaughter."

"Probably wants to slow us down." I look at her. "Why aren't you in your car?"

"I'm lonely."

"Okay." This girl I didn't really like. Not after what she had said about Doc.

"And I don't want to be alone."

"Look, you can stay in here but if I fall asleep, you gotta leave."

"Okay." Lisa sat down in a chair. Great. Now she's making herself right at home. "When do you think we'll get to the Capital?"

"I don't know. It's all the way in Texas. It could be another few hours or so." I say, getting on my bed. Lisa gets on next to me and I scoot away to the edge. She gets under the covers. "What are you doing?"

"I'm cold." She says.

"You're cold."

"Yes."

I roll my eyes and don't get under the blankets. I wondered what I was going to say to her. _Lisa you're a nice girl and all but I'm already taken_. No, I didn't even know if she liked me like that.

She looked at me. "You're cute."

My eyes widen. _Oh God_. "Um, thanks."

She got closer. "Really cute. I love your eyes."

I give her a half smile. She leans in to kiss me. I yelp and fall off of the bed. "Lisa, I barely know you. Why are you doing this?" I ask.

"Because I'm extremely attracted to you, Marty."

"Oh. Well. That's good to know." My voice cracked. She got near my feet. My legs flailed for a second and then I stood up. It took me longer this time than usual. Damn that food. "No. No, Lisa. I have a girlfriend."

"Oh, come on, Marty. She won't find out."

"She might." I said. Suddenly it all got dark and I looked around.

"Mr. McFly—Oh, excuse me." A woman said, coming in. "We're in the Capital."

Well, that was shorter than expected.


End file.
